Signal for motor-vehicles



P. H. WOLFAARDT.

SIGNAL FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.'29,1919.

1,338,114. Patented Apr- 27,1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

awoe mbo'c P. H. WOLFAARDT.

SIGNAL FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION. ElLED MAR. 29. 1919.

1,338, 1 14. Patented Apr. 27,1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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SIGNAL FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.'2'9, 1919.

:1 338 1 14 v Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3- wmzwtoz P. H. WOLFAARDT.

SIGNAL FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29, 1919.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

P. H. WOLFAARDT.

SIGNAL FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION HLED MAR. 29. 1919.

1,338,114. Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

avwemboz PIETER HENDRIX WOLFAARDT, OF JEPPESTOWN, JQI'IANNESBURG, SOUTHAFRICA.

SIGNAL FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

Application filed. March 29, 1919. Serial No. 286,056. i

To all whom-it may concern Be it known that I, PIETER H. W01.-

FAARDT, subject of Great Britain, residing at J eppestown, in the countyof Johannesburg and State of Johannesburg, South Africa, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Signals for Motor-Vehicles, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had thereintothe accompanying drawings. l p I This invention relates to a signalfor motor vehicles, and has for its object the construction of asignaling apparatus which is provided with means for controlling theposition of a hand of the signal for preventing the same from movingaccidentally from its adjusted position.

With this, and other objects in view, the invention comprises certainnovel combinations and arrangements of parts as will hereinafter befully described and claimed and also illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of an apparatus constructed inaccordance with present invention, while Fig. 2' is afront view of theapparatus looking at the same at right angles to the position shown inFig. 1. I

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on line 33, Fig. 1, and looking in thedirection of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 4-t, Fig. 3, andlooking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 55, Fig. 3, andlooking in direc tion of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 66, Fig. 5, andlooking in direction of arrows.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of an automobile showing the' apparatusattached thereto.

Fig. 8 is' a longitudinal sectional view of the plunger device forlocking the hand in an adjusted position.

'Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional View of one of the contacts. 7 p p Fig.10 is a fragmentary sectional view of one of the brackets carryingarontact plate.

Fig. 11. is a view partly in section and partly in side elevation of thegrip, or controller end of the apparatus, while Fig. 12: is a sectionalview" taken. on. line 12-12, Fig. 11, and looking in the direction ofthe arrows.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 designates a suitable supporton a motor vehicle as it will be understood from the followingdescription that my apparatus will operate just as efliciently attachedto a motor cycle, as when attached to an automobile. A clamp 2 carryinga thumb nut 3 is attached to the support or windshield 1, and by meansof the nut 3 the vertical bracket arm 4 can be accurately adjusted in avertical plane. A flat plate 5 is de- (Fig. 2) and this plate 5constitutes the bottom or base of the casing 6' (Fig. 5) in which thearm 7, carrying the hand 8 is rotatably mounted. The arm 7 is fixedlyattached to the head 9 (Fig. 4) and this head 9 (formed ofinsulatingmaterial) is secured to the vertical shaft 10. The arm 7 that travels ina slot 11 of the casing 6, and top or cap 12 is secured to the head 9through the medium of screws 13, so that the cap 12 rotates with the arm7. j

To rotate or swing arm 7, and hand 8, I attach a suitable bracket 14; tothe handle or steering wheel of the motor vehicle, and

upon this bracket 14 is mounted an'auxil'iary casing 16 in whichauxiliary casing the auxiliary head 17 is det'achably positioned. To thehead 17 is attached a handle 18, carrying upon its outer end grip 19,and mounted upon the handle 18 is an angle bracket 20 which pivotablysupports, at 21, the manually-controller plate or auxiliary grip 22. Aprimary wire or cable 23 is partly coiled around the auxiliary head 17and fastened at 245 this wire or cable 23 is suitably protected by acovering 25. Attached to the auxiliary grip or plate 22 at 26, is anauxiliary wire or cable 27. j j

The primary wire 23 is attached at 28 (Fig. 3) to the arm 29 of the racksegment 30. A coil spring 31 is fastened at one end to the casing 6 at32 and at its opposite end it is fastened at 28 to arm 29, so that whenthe arm 29 is swinging upon its pivot 33 in one direction the tendencyof the spring will be to return the arm 29 to its normal posi-' tionshown in Fig. 3. The segment rack 30 meshes with the small pinion 34fixed to the vertical shaft 10, so that when the operator swings thehandle 18 a rotary movement 'tachably secured to upper end of arm 4 willbe imparted to shaft 10, head 9, and arm 7.

The auxiliary Wire 27 is detachably secured by screw 35 to the plunger36 of the locking device for holding the signal in an adjusted position.The screw 25 slides in slot 37 of the plunger casing 38 and spring 39normally holds the detachable plunger point 40 in contact with the gearsof the segment 30 and pinion 34 (Fig. 3).

Upon the operator grasping the handle 19 he can simultaneously grip theauxiliary grip or plate 22, releasing the point 40 of plunger 36 fromengagement with the rack and pinion thereby permitting the swinging ofthe signal through the medium of handle 18 and primary wire 23. Asuitable post 41 is provided upon the plate 5 through which the primarywire 23 extends.

The plunger casing 38 is provided with apertured feet 42 whereby theplunger casing is held in alinement with rack segment 30 and the pinion34 (Fig. 4).

Like the primary wire 23. the auxiliary wire 27 s provided with asuitable cover or casing 25.

It is desirable to illuminate the hand 8 and to ac om lish this Iprovide. at each position of the hand (Figs. 1 and. 7 con tact deviceswithin casing 6 so that an elec tric circuit is completed. Thisstructure comprises a flat ring 43 secured to contact brackets 49. Aprimary spring-pressed contact device 44 is in constant contact with theannular plate 43 and this contact device 44 is electrically connectedthrough the medium of wire 45 to the hooter or horn 46 and the lamp 47.An auxiliary contact devi e 44 is carried by the casing andthis'auxiliary contact device is also electrically connected by wire 45"to the horn 46 and lamp 47; in the circuit is battery 48 and when theauxiliary contact device 44 engages one of the several contact brackets49 the circuit will be completed and the horn sounded. and the lamp willburn in the hand 8.

Each contact bracket 49 is se ured by screws 49" to the insulating head9 and the horn and lamp are to he energized when the hand is in any oneof three posit ons; the hand in Fig. 1 is shown by dotted lines in theneutral position. whereas in full lines it is shown in the forwa rdposition. and in Fig. 7 the four positions that the hand is capable ofassuming is shown. In Fig. 7 the right and left and forward ositions areshown by dotted lines. whereas the neutral. posit on of the hand and itsarm 7 is shown in full lines.

The primary contact device 44 (Fig. 9) comprises primary casing 50 andthe vertically-slidahle contact casing 51. Within the casing 51 is thecoil spring 52 for holding the casing 51 constantly in contact with thefiat ring 43.

The circuit through the battery, horn and lamp is as follows: Startingwith the battery 48, the current can pass through insulated wire 44thence through the auxiliary contact device 44, thence through bracket49, thence through ring 43, through primary contact device 44, throughinsulated wire 45, through wire 45, through horn 46, through wire 45 tolamp 47, thence through wire 45 back to battery 48, completing theentire circuit between the battery, horn, and lamp.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that I provide,first, a'manually adjustable hand and that, second, I provide a manuallycontrolled locking device to operate with the hand adjusting device forlocking the hand in differently adjusted positions, and, third, I havealso provided electrical means for sounding the horn and illuminatingthe lamp in the hand when the hand is adjusted.

What I claim is:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with acasing, of a rotatable head in said casing, a hand carried by said head,a manually controlled handle, a connection between said handle and headwhereby when the handle is operated the head and hand will be turned,and locking means holding the head and hand in an adjusted position.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with acasing, of hand supporting means rotatably mounted in said casing, apivotally mounted handle, means connecting said handle with said handsupporting means, and locking means holding said hand supporting meansin an adjusted position.

3. In an apparatus of the class described the combination with asupport, of hand supporting means carried by said support, a casing, anauxiliary head rotatably mounted in said casing, a handle integral withsaid head, said handle provided with a grip, a connecting means partlysurrounding said head and fastened thereto, said'connecting means beingattached to said hand supporting means, and locking means partly sup- 7ported upon said handle and cooperating with said hand supporting meansfor holding said hand supporting means in an adjusted position.

4. In an apparatus of the class described the combination with asupport. of hand supporting means carried by said support, an auxiliarycasing, a handle rotatably mounted upon said auxiliary casing, andflexible connector attached to the handle within said auxiliary casingand also at-.

tached to said hand supporting means, whereby when the handle ismoved'upon said auxiliary casing said hand supporting means will be alsomoved.

5. In an apparatus of the class described the combination With acasing,of a shaft in said casing, a pinion on said shaft, a rack segmentcarried by said casing and meshing with said pinion, a hand support uponsaid shaft, a spring pressed plunger adapted to engage said rack segmentand pinion for locking the hand in an adjusted position, and meanscooperating With the rack segment for moving the segment and therebyimparting movement to the pinion, shaft and hand.

6. In an apparatus of the class described the combination With a casing,of a shaft journaled upon said casing, a hand carried by said shaft, apinion fixedly secured to said shaft, a rack segment pivotally mountedWithin said casing and meshing With said pinion, a manually-controlledspring pressed plunger normally engaging said pinion. and

rack segment for holding the same against movement, and manuallycontrolled means connected With the rack segment for operating the sameand thereby adjusting the posi tion of the hand.

7 In an apparatus of the class described the combination With a casing,of hand supporting means carried by said casing, means for adjustingsaid hand supporting means, a locking device for retaining said handsupporting means in a fixed position, the said locking device comprisinga casing provided With apertured feet, said casing provided With openends and a slot in one side, a plunger slidably mounted in said casing,a spring in said casing and bearing against the inner end of saidplunger, a Wire extending through one end of said casing and into theplunger, a bolt extending through a slot of the casing and into saidplunger and engaging the Wire and locking same upon the plunger, and adetchable point carried by the outer end of said plunger.

8. In an apparatus of the class described the combination Witha casingand shaft j ournaled upon said casing, of a cap for said casing anddetachably supported upon the shaft, said cap overhanging the sides ofthe casing, hand supporting means attached to the shaft in said casing,said hand supporting means extending through the over-hanging side ofthe cap, and means for rotating the shaft and cap for adjusting the handsupporting means to different positions upon the casing.

9. In an apparatus of the class described the combination With a supportof hand supporting means carried by said support, means for adjustingsaid hand supporting means, a locking device for holding the handsupporting means in an adjusted position, said locking device comprisinga springpressed plunger, an angle bracket, a grip plate pivotallymounted upon said angle bracket, and a flexible connector fastened atone end to said spring-pressed plunger and at its opposite end to saidgrip plate.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

PIETER 'HENDRIK WOLFAARDT.

